Sure, the new kid on the block has all the power it needs. But does it empty your pocket faster than its rivals?

The sub-4 metre SUV segment is one of the most hotly contested ones in the Indian market. The newest entrant in the game is Tata Motors’ first ever compact SUV, the Nexon. While it has been priced to give all its rivals a tough time, how it fares against them in terms of fuel efficiency is something that buyers in this segment just can’t ignore.

Every manufacturer releases ARAI-certified fuel economy figures for all its cars. Let’s see how the Tata Nexon stacks up against the Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Honda WR-V and the Mahindra TUV300 in terms of mileage figures.

FUEL EFFICIENCY (IN KMPL)

CAR NAME

PETROL

DIESEL

MT

AT

MT

AT

Tata Nexon

17

NA

21.5

NA

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

NA

NA

24.3

NA

Ford EcoSport

1.5-litre: 15.85

1.0-litre: 18.88

15.63 (AT)

22.27

NA

Honda WR-V

17.5

NA

25.5

NA

Mahindra TUV300

NA

NA

18.49

18.49 (AMT)

As far as diesel-fed cars are concerned, the Honda WR-V takes the crown, followed closely by the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. The third place goes to the Ford EcoSport and the Nexon is only ahead of the Mahindra TUV300. The Maruti and the Mahindra SUVs aren’t currently available with petrol-powered engines though. In the rest, the Nexon manages to topple the 1.5-litre petrol engine of the EcoSport. However, if we consider the other 1.0-litre turbo-petrol of the Ford, which is a lot more powerful than that of the Tata car, the Nexon comes in last.

Just to clarify what powers what, here’s the list of engine options available with these cars.

ENGINE OPTIONS

CAR NAME

PETROL

DIESEL

Configuration

Power

Configuartion

Power

Tata Nexon

1.2-litre

(3 cylinders)

110PS/170Nm

1.5-litre

(4 cylinders)

110PS/260Nm

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

NA

NA

1.3-litre

(4 cylinders)

90PS/200Nm

Ford EcoSport

1.0-litre

(3 cylinders) / 1.5-litre

(4 cylinders)

125PS/170Nm /

111PS/140Nm

1.5-litre

(4 cylinders)

100PS/205Nm

Honda WR-V

1.2-litre

(4 cylinders)

90PS/110Nm

1.5-litre

(4 cylinders)

100PS/200Nm

Mahindra TUV300

NA

NA

1.5-litre (4 cylinders)

Two Tunes: 84PS/230Nm and 100PS/240Nm

Out of the five, two are available only with diesel engines. While the EcoSport offers the most flexibility in terms of engine options, the WRV and the Nexon are available with one option each for petrol and diesel engines. As far as power is concerned, the Tata Nexon diesel is way ahead of its competition. On the flip side though, the Tata’s turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine can’t match the oomph generated by that of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine in the Ford EcoSport.

Tata Motors has confirmed that the Nexon will soon get an AMT (automated manual transmission). Once that is done, the Nexon will expand the engine-transmission combinations to become an even more enticing option.

So there you have it. As things stand, the Tata Nexon falls short of its competition when we compare the mileage figures. However, it does bring in the most powerful diesel motor. And that is something that can’t be ignored.